A Cure
by Swyrel
Summary: [Oneshot] Waiting in line to receive the 'cure' to her mutation, Rogue meets someone that helps her rethink her decision. Spoilers for X3 movie!


_Damn backstabbing boyfriend-stealing bitch!_ Rogue clenched her fists as she moved up in the line at the General Hospital. She was standing in this _long_ line, waiting to receive the 'cure' to her mutation. The night before, after watching Bobby and Kitty skating on the mansion's large fountain, holding each other close, she had decided to get the cure so that Bobby would want to stay with her. Though, Rogue's mind was not completely made up; she had secretly wanted Logan to forbid her to go, but instead, he let her go, let her make up her own mind. _The Professor would've made me stay,_ she thought sullenly, _but the Professor's dead now. Jean killed him._ Even at the Professor's funeral, Bobby had reached for Kitty's hand as the younger girl cried. Kitty, not Rogue, his girlfriend!

The line moved again; she was only two people away from the building entrance now. _I don't want to do this, but I have to. I want to touch, touch without hurting. Why did Logan let me go?_ Closing her eyes to suppress her silent tears, Rogue did not see the man step into line in front of her, but she did hear the cries of 'hey, no skipping' coming from behind her. Opening her eyes, she found a handsome young man, looking to only be a year or so older than her, staring down at her with a light smirk on his face. Rogue's eyes were immediately drawn to his own, and she stared in shock at the red on black orbs that gazed at her. "Now, _Petite_, wha' a _fille_ like y' doin' in a place like dis?"

"I'm gettin' a cure, and you?" She shot back scathingly, glaring at the young man. His eyes danced with amusement at Rogue's answer, his smirk widening.

"Remy jus' tryin' t' figure out' why someone so _belle_ as y' would be in dis line in de firs' place."

"I told you, I'm gettin' a cure!" She snapped, clenching her fists at her sides. Normally sweet tempered, this man had already managed to rile Rogue up more than she had been in a long while. "What's it to you anyway?"

The man frowned suddenly, pulling Rogue's attention from his eyes to his lips, but her attention returned once more to his eyes when he spoke again. "Remy was jus' explorin' de town when he saw dis _ange_ get in line over here, so he came t' check t'ings out. But look, we gettin' off on de wrong foot. Remy LeBeau, at y' service."

"Rogue," she replied as he grabbed her gloved hand and brought it to his lips. A blush stained her cheeks as he kissed the back of her hand, but making no effort to go after he did so. Instead, he kept it clasped in his hand between them.

"Y' power, it dat bad?"

"It's that bad," she told him, averting her eyes.

"Bad enough t' get rid of it forever? Y' power can' be dat bad."

Glare returning full force, Rogue raise her eyes and met his gaze once more. "Not that bad? You do not know me! You don't know what my power puts me through!" She hissed.

Leaning his face close to hers, Remy whispered, "show me."

Rogue breathed in harshly, the feel of his breath of her lips upsetting her greatly. This man had set off every warning signal in her head as soon as he invaded her personal space. "I will," she growled between clenched teeth before pressing her lips to his in a searing kiss. The man's thoughts and memories rushed through her head as she moved her mouth against his, but to her shock, he was still kissing back! She knew that he had to feel the pull, that he had to be suffering, but he was still kissing her!

With a loud cry, Rogue wrenched herself away from Remy, running into the person behind her. A sudden pain in her hands brought her gaze down to them to find her gloves melting away to reveal a pink light surrounding her hands. The leather of her gloves - the pair that Logan gave her for her last birthday - stuck to her hands painfully, melting the skin there as well. "_Mon Dieu_," the man cried as he stumbled over to Rogue. "Dis, what is dis? What's happening?"

"When I touch a person, I pretty much become dem!" Rogue cried, tears pouring down her cheeks from the pain in her hands. "Y' a mutant, so I got y' power t'!"

Remy put his hands on top of Rogue's, and shut his eyes, concentrating. Rogue's tears became tears of relief as the pink, sizzling glow dispersed with Remy's help. Opening his eyes, Remy grabbed Rogue's wrist and pulled her along behind him, away from the approaching guards. Entering an alley, he pulled her down to the ground before sitting down in front of her, bringing her hands up to his face to access the damage. "Y' gonna need t' get dese looked at, Rogue. Look, Remy really sorry. But hey, y' eyes even more beautiful now."

"What do y' mean?"

Reaching into the pocket of his trench coat, Remy pulled out a flip phone and snapped a picture of Rogue's face before turning it around to show her. Rogue gasped at the picture. Her eyes were now just like Remy's except she had green pupils instead of red. Gritting her teeth, Rogue dropped her gaze from the phone and brought her attention to removing the smouldering gloves from her hands. "Do y' really t'ink I look _féerique_?"

"How did y' know dat?"

"When I touch a person, I absorb dem. Dere memories, t'oughts, powers if dey a mutant, and dere very life if I hold on t' long."

"_Effrayant_!"

"Y' have no idea," she whispered, finally managing to get one glove off. Remy sucked in a large breath as he saw her hand. Some of the skin had melted off completely, leaving only red muscle behind. "Dat hurts like _l'enfer_." She hissed, starting on the next glove. In the meantime, Remy reached back into his pockets and produced a bottle of water, before slipping off his coat and pulling his shirt over his head. "What are you doing?" Rogue asked, only slightly noticing as her accent returned to normal.

"Helping," he replied, grabbing her uncovered hand carefully and pouring half of the water on it. Rogue hissed in pain as he set the bottle down and ripped a strip of material from his shirt and wrapped it around her hand, careful not to touch her skin again.

"You know, it's not your fault. Belle's death," Rogue added at Remy's clueless look. At her words, Remy froze from wrapping her other hand and brought his eyes up to meet hers. "He pushed her, you couldn't reach her in time, so stop blaming yourself."

"Y' sound like my _pere_," Remy chuckled humorlessly.

Smiling sadly, Rogue replied, "from what I know of him now, he's a seems like a smart man. You should listen to him."

Ruefully shaking his head, Remy finished bandaging Rogue's other hand and helped her to her feet. "Y' do know dere's ot'er ways t' touchin' wit'out skin t' skin contact. Forget dat boy if he can' see dat."

"How did you..."

"Can see it in y' eyes, Rogue. He's not wort' it. Now, c'mon, let Remy get y' home." He led her out of the alley, and to a blue street bike that sat waiting for him. Helping Rogue onto the back, Remy slipped his only helmet over her head and climbed onto the bike in front of her. She cautiously wrapped her arms around his waist, thankful that he had on another shirt under the one he used to bandage her hands. On the way back to the mansion - Rogue didn't even have to give Remy directions, everyone knew where the place was - she reveled in the feel of his muscles under her cheek as she huddled close to him. All too quickly, they reached the mansion, and Rogue climbed off the bike with Remy's help.

"I guess this is goodbye," she whispered, handing the helmet back to Remy. Smirking, he caressed her cheek with his gloved fingers.

"Mebbe not. T'ings might happen, and we might see each ot'er sooner den we t'ink."

"Rogue?" Turning her head to the new voice, Rogue found Bobby standing on the mansion's doorstep, staring at them suspiciously. When Rogue turned back to face Remy, he had already started the bike back up.

"Remy t'inkin' we seein' each ot'er very soon." With that, he pushed the helmet onto his head and pealed out of the driveway.

Walking slowly to the doorstep, Rogue stuffed her hands in her jacket pocket and looked up at Bobby. "Who was that?" He demanded impatiently.

"No one," Rogue replied as she felt something in her pocket. Pulling it out, Rogue found a piece of paper with a phone number written on it with a message in French: _Appelez moi_. Smiling, Rogue slipped the note back into her pocket and looked back at Bobby. "You know, we need to talk."

**Translation:**

1. _Petite_ - little/young person

2. _fille _- girl

3. _belle_ - beautiful

4. _Mon Dieu _- my God

5. _féerique _- enchanting (fairy like)

6. _Effrayant _- scary

7. _l'enfer_ - hell

8. _pere_ - father


End file.
